Give Me a Sign
by Scorpia11
Summary: Draco's breaths were labored as he took an agonizing step forward, trembling and blinking blood from his eye as he attempted to carry Hermione to the front desk. "H-help" he rasped as his partner's body convulsed from yet another aftershock of a curse he hadn't recognized. "Pl-please…somebod-dy help us…" EWE, R&R, Post Hogwarts, One-Shot Rated M, just in case.


**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter the amazingly talented JK Rowling does…I just enjoy playing with her characters.

**This one-shot was inspired by the song _Give Me A Sign_ by Breaking Benjamin.

**Warning: Includes mentions of violence, light sexual content, curse words, and a bit of gore…so I am rating this M just in case. If any of this is not for you, please move along to something else.

**This is a little story I couldn't help but write in just an afternoon. I promise I'm still working away on all of my other stories (even editing all original content before reposting the chapters) and I am hoping to have quite a bit ready by the end of January. However, I wanted to give you guys this so you knew I was still here! Thank you for all of your patience, I hope you enjoy this one-shot! Please don't forget to review.

**Give Me a Sign:**

It was a usual Saturday evening at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The reception area held a line leading to the door with witches and wizards in various forms of disarray, waiting for the Welcome Witch to sort them through and send them to their respective floors. The standard stark white walls with gleaming ivory tiles greeted each person while offering little in the form of comfort as they waited to hear about loved ones admitted into the above floors on ancient slat back wooden chairs.

A few family members lingered around the waiting area as the Welcome Witch called forth a man with an upside-down face wobbling ahead of a woman who had somehow managed to turn her hair into carnivorous vines, which were attempting to devour her husband. Low indistinct conversations could be heard reverberating through the room as the Welcome Witch directed the gentleman to the fourth floor for Spell Damage and went to call forth a pair of twins, who had somehow fused themselves together, when a crack of apparition rent the air.

Every head turned in unison to see who had ripped through the hospitals' wards so callously. However, as their eyes landed on a tall pale blonde-haired Auror, dressed in black tactical gear with blood streaming down the side of his dirt-streaked face, their words of contempt died on their tongues. Clutched within his arms was a petite woman with dark brown curly hair tied haphazardly away from her ashen face, swinging to and fro through the air as her body lay limp and unresponsive. Her arms swung freely beneath her with blood running down her fingertips and pooling on the once milky white tiled floor as her head hung backward over the Aurors' forearm. Both of their uniforms were torn, frayed, and burned in several places from where curses had either collided with their worn bodies or barely grazed them as they streaked through the air.

Though the second Wizarding War had been over for nearly eight years, the sudden appearance of Draco Malfoy, ex-Death Eater and renowned Auror, holding his partner Hermione Granger, war heroine and recipient of a First-Class Order of Merlin, triggered several flashbacks of the war. No one seemed capable of moving as they took in the tousled pair, who'd obviously fought their way through a battle zone moments before appearing there, reeking of sweat, smoke, and blood. Draco's breaths were labored as he took an agonizing step forward, trembling and blinking blood from his eye as he attempted to carry Hermione to the front desk.

"H-help," he rasped as his partner's body convulsed from yet another aftershock of a curse he hadn't recognized. "Pl-please…somebod-dy help us…" exhaustion was etched into his face as the Welcome Witch suddenly snapped to and called for the emergency Healers on standby. Within moments, two Medi-witches and a Healer, by the name of Samantha Atkinson, hauled Hermione from Draco's arms and laid her back onto a levitating gurney before they all began pelting him with question after question.

"What happened, Auror Malfoy? Are you also injured…I think we need another Healer over here!"

"Was she cursed? Oh, dear Merlin, she's severely burned along her side…We'll need to contact the Dai Llewellyn ward for some of their dragon burn salve-and call for more healers! I won't be able to do this all on my own."

"Auror Malfoy, do you know who is listed as her next of kin?"

"No…don't worry about m-me. H-help Gr-granger," Draco exclaimed through ragged breaths as he propped himself up against the nearest wall. "Fl-floo Potter, he's her listed k-kin…I-I n-need to wait for him…I-I can't be seen until th-then…," his voice cracked and broke as he clung to the flat wooden banister lining the pristine ivory walls in an effort not to collapse onto the floor. Several Medi-witches and Healers attempted to coerce him into being seen before Harry Potter, savior of the Wizarding World, best friend to Hermione Granger, and Head of the MLE, rushed into the waiting room alongside his Auror partner and other best friend, Ronald Weasley.

"Malfoy, what the fuck happened? I thought you were on a simple reconnaissance mission…" his voice trailed off when he took in Draco's battered appearance. Dark bruising lined the blondes' jaw, spreading over his fractured cheekbone beneath a sizeable gash stretching from the roots of his hair to the top of his left eye, dripping crimson blood through his once platinum lashes.

"Godric, why haven't you been seen yet? You look like hell…" Ron chimed in after looking over his comrade with wide eyes. Draco glowered at him before raising his wand and wordlessly casting _muffliato_ in order to speak freely in front of the civilians.

"It was a trap," he explained before clearing his throat, knowing all the while that the ash he'd swallowed would soon cause it to close, but nevertheless he needed them to know. "I'm not sure how, but they knew we were c-coming…"

"Who was there?" Harry inquired as he summoned a quill and parchment to take notes while the Auror was lucid.

"Dolohov, Macnair, Mulciber, Rowle, and three new recruits I didn't recognize," Draco listed as he coughed again and took in a deep ragged breath. "We a-arrived by portkey in what was s-sup-pposed to be a safe lo-location before m-moving on to the indicated rendezvous point…but…" his grey eyes stared unseeing at the wall behind the pair. "They knew we were coming…we were attacked as soon as we ar-r-rived. Spells and curses flew from every-y direction as we dove behind a stack of wood-den crates. We were pinned, but still f-fought back. I killed two of the three I didn't know before Rowle blew up the crates hiding us," he began as the images of debris flying through the air danced in his minds' eye and his ears rung from the blast.

"Hermione took on Dolohov, Macnair, and Rowle while the other two tried forcing me backward …away from her…" He recalled the five of them trying to separate them as they flung a multitude of spells that he was barely able to dodge or counter, obviously taking multiple hits in the process. "We were barely holding our own, but after I th-threw a _bombarda _at the floor, sending Mulciber and his flunky backward, I turned to h-help Granger. Na-naturally, she was standing her ground while dueling her three, but I saw Dolohov…I don't know, sm-smile…maybe? Anyways, I knew he'd been toying with her and just as he sent one of his personal spells flying, I lunged and knocked her out of the way.

"She collided with a pile of cont-tainers but missed the curse," Draco relayed as the pain from being struck by the spell reverberated through his side while his vision slowly started to blur. "After that, we took them on together, b-but the other two j-joined back in…th-there was no way out," he shook his head as tears burned his eyes. "I lost track of her for _just_ a m-moment…and she was…" he swallowed hard as he met Harry's knowing green eyes, "it was just a mo-moment, but Macnair caught her with some sp-spell that tore across her chest…shredding right through her uniform and causing bl-blood to go everyw-where."

"Fuck…," Ron hissed angrily.

"I'm s-sorry, I got to her as f-fast as I-I could," Draco swore as he took in yet another ragged breath "but she refused to st-stay down. Instead, she got up and set _Fiendfyre_ loose on the building…trap-pping all of us inside before she collapsed on the ground," images of enflamed animals devouring everything in sight flashed behind his eyes. "I gathered her up and ap-apparated out of there as the others fought back the flames…that's when we ca-came here," he gestured around the waiting room with one arm as his left held tight against his side.

"So, you don't know if they survived or not," Harry questioned before Draco shook his head in silent response.

"Hey, Malfoy, are you alright?" Ron asked concernedly while what little color the blonde had left drained from his face. As he went to respond, Draco started coughing uncontrollably, expelling blood from his mouth and splattering it onto the floor over his hand. Harry barely had time to catch him as his weakened body crumpled before them.

"We need a Healer over here," the black-haired Auror yelled, momentarily forgetting about the spell muffling everyone's ears to their conversation. Pulling his wand from its holster, he removed the spell and called yet again for help. As multiple Healers made their way to the three of them, Harry pulled up the black tactical shirt the blonde had been clutching close to himself to reveal interwoven black curse lines arching across his torso and down his side.

"No, oh sweet Rowena, _no,_" Healer Robin Clarke gasped out as her eyes took in the damage spanning over the Aurors' body.

"What? What is it?" Ron demanded to know.

"We've seen this before…"

"_So_, that means you can treat it," the redhead bit out angrily.

"Sir, you don't understand, in nearly every case it has been fatal," the dark-haired Healer explained. "Not only does the curse inflict excruciating pain, but the individuals internally bleed out as it drains their magical core. I'll do what I can, but you should probably contact his next of kin because he most likely won't make it through the night." Both Harry and Ron swallowed hard as the Healer and Medi-witches levitated Draco through the reception area on a gurney towards the critical care ward.

XXX

Draco's eyes flickered open as he was transferred onto a hard bed with several witches and wizards scurrying around him, arguing over the best course of treatment in order to save his life. Unable to concentrate on what any of them were saying, he tilted his head to the side and noticed Hermione laying in the next bed with four people working furiously around her. Her petite frame seemed even smaller within the oversized gurney as her once white sheets were stained a crimson red and her blood slowly pooled onto the floor. As his eyes roved over her grey tinged body, his mind flashed to the day they were partnered after graduating from the Auror Academy.

_The assignments were posted on the bulletin board of the Ministry Law Enforcement offices and Draco felt a weight drop in his stomach as he read her name next to his. He'd known this would happen, but he had hoped against all odds that it wouldn't. They'd been two of the few who'd gone back to Hogwarts to retake their final year before entering the Auror Academy shortly after completing their NEWTs. The two of them quickly surpassed their entire class and were often paired together during simulations and trainings, but still, he'd wished they wouldn't be partnered. _

_"Malfoy," Hermione's crisp voice cut through the air as she crossed over to his desk and stood before him in her simple black trousers and white button-down; looking every bit the professional each of them had been encouraged to be._

_"Yes, Granger?" he replied evenly, idly wondering if she would demand a new associate as they were particularly volatile when left alone for too long._

_"I'd like a word if you don't mind," she stated matter-of-factly, causing him to sigh before standing to follow her to the MLE conference room and closing the door._

_"Look, Granger, before…"_

_"I take it you've seen the assignments?" she interrupted as she leveled him with a look which clearly indicated that she was running the conversation._

_"Naturally, but…" he tried again._

_"Brilliant! Then I think it's time we put our differences aside and leave the past where it belongs," she rushed out. "I mean," she faltered only slightly as she sought the right words, "we knew this day was coming after three years of training side-by-side and I'd rather try and make this work than hold on to petty grudges. So…partners?" she queried with an outstretched hand. After only a moment's hesitation, he took her hand and nodded curtly in agreement._

The sudden sound of her heartbeat flatlining wrenched Draco from the memory. Tears welled in his eyes as he watched the healer beside her quickly raise his wand and cast a spell which caused her body to jerk and arch off the bed in response.

_Six weeks into their partnership, Hermione approached Draco at the end of their shift and invited him out for drinks to celebrate closing their first big case. Reluctantly, he agreed as they'd maintained an amicable working relationship since the day they'd been assigned to each other. They still bickered and debated on how to execute various tasks, but all in all, they worked well together and were almost…cordial. _

_Harry and Ron weren't pleased to have him join their group for drinks, but in respect for Hermione, they held their tongues and kept their grimaces to a minimum. _

The vital lines on the charmed monitor didn't respond and though Draco knew the others were yelling at one another, the sounds were muted as his focus remained trained on the curly-haired witch…willing her not to die. Knowing she had so much more to accomplish in her lifetime. The Healer cast the spell again, but nothing changed and as tears slid uncontrollably from the blondes' eyes, the burning pain in his side intensified.

_The pair of them were sparring in the Auror practice room, as they often did three times a week. Hermione was dressed in her usual muggle attire with tight exercise pants and a tee which fit her a little too well. It'd taken a few months, but she'd finally worn Draco down into trying muggle joggers and tees for practice, rather than the heavy Auror robes or tactical gear which was expensive to replace. He hated admitting she was right and as they'd placed a bet on whether or not he'd wear them again, he grumbled about having to buy her lunch the following week. _

_However, they'd been partnered for just over a year now and the two were considered one of the best teams their department had ever seen. They trained with a combination of spells and hand-to-hand combat, which usually left them exhausted by the end of the practice hour. Though neither of them would admit it, things had shifted from a reluctant partnership to a friendship over months of working together…And sometimes, during their late-night stakeouts or drinks with friends, it felt like something more, though neither was willing to talk about it._

_Draco shot off another stunner in Hermione's direction, which she not only wandlessly blocked, as he'd disarmed her nearly five minutes before, but parried with a slicing hex that he barely dodged as she rushed forward. Spells flew left and right before she tripped him with his own jinx and roughly pinned him to the mat. Their muscles were exhausted and sweat dripped from both their brows, but neither seemed to notice as her brown eyes flickered to his lips for the first time. With accelerated heartbeats and erratic breathing, Hermione's gaze locked with his darkened grey and she tentatively leaned forward. But before she had even closed half the distance between them, Harry's voice cut through the air._

_"Oi, you two done sparring yet? Ron and I want to start heading to the Leaky before it gets too crowded."_

_"We just finished," Hermione called as she quickly rolled to the side and stood from the floor. She refused to meet Draco's gaze as he remained on the mat for several minutes, listening as she disappeared into the locker room to shower and change._

On the third try, Hermione's entire body spasmed beneath the shock and everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath for several seconds before her monitor began beeping normally once more.

Relief flooded the room for a moment before the medical staff resumed their frantic efforts in saving the pair. Numbing spells were placed over Draco's ribs and he could hear the tinkling of multiple potion vials being placed on a tray as the brunette witch's head lulled to the side; allowing him to finally see her battered face. Another coughing attack took over his body, leaving him convulsing for several minutes before he collapsed back on the bed with blood covering his chin and neck.

_They were hunting Travers across the Scottish moors with Seamus Finnigan and Martin Fitch. It'd been nearly six weeks since the almost incident in the training room and things had been the same…if not a little tense among him and Granger. They'd began shortening their physical trainings and often kept at least a foot of distance between themselves to head off any further issues. However, now they were forced to share a tent with two others, making for close quarters, on a hunt that was taking longer than any of them wanted. _

_When they finally trapped Travers at the base of a cliff, he fought back with every unforgivable in his arsenal and a number of dark spells which could cripple any witch or wizard upon impact. As they closed in ranks and knocked him to the ground, Hermione moved in for the arrest but was caught off guard when the fugitive sent a wandless curse at her. However, no sooner had Travers lifted his hand than Draco jumped between them, in an effort to protect her, and ended up taking the full impact of the curse to his back. Within minutes, Hermione had Travers cuffed and handed off to Seamus and Martin before grasping Draco's arm and apparating to her flat. _

_He was confused as to why she hadn't just taken him to St. Mungo's, but understood when she'd brought out several potions…including Dittany. Neither of them spoke as she helped pull his ruined tactical shirt from his body and gently applied the potion to his torn flesh. As the skin closed, she scourgified the blood from his back and maneuvered around him to check for other injuries while he stood stoic, barely able to breathe as the tips of her fingers lightly caressed his skin. However, when she reached up to spread the bruise remover over his cheek, he leaned forward so she wouldn't need to overstretch and soon found her lips pressed tenderly to his own; completely catching him off-guard. _

_His heart beat rapidly within his chest and he couldn't help but fall for her a little more when she tentatively withdrew. Seeing the pink flush creep over her cheeks as he stared deep into her chocolate irises, sent a throbbing need straight through him. Before she could step away, Draco slipped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her against him, devouring her surprised squeak as his lips molded firmly to hers._

_Somewhere between the first touch of her hands on his chest and the subsequent moans heard reverberating through her body, he'd lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist before backing her into a wall and grinding against her core. He took her to bed for the first time that night, shortly after she'd practically clawed the remaining clothes from their bodies, and they made love late into the night. Neither of them said anything, but both knew it wouldn't be the last time and if they wanted to continue working together, it'd have to be their secret. _

Healer Clarke forced Draco out of his revere and into a sitting position as she tried to explain the potions he needed to drink. She must have known he was unable to concentrate on what she was saying and therefor had a Medi-witch help open his jaw before she made him drink one vile potion after another. By the time they ceased their onslaught, he'd slumped back against the pillow and attempted to glance at his witch one last time, searching for a sign, any sign, that she would come back to him.

Darkness crept in around the edges of his eyesight as memories of the last three years danced across his mind. Images of Hermione laughing heartily at his failed attempts to properly brew coffee in her muggle contraption, her chasing after him through her flat in nothing more than his tee and her knickers to take back the book he'd stolen, and nights where they'd snuggled close together after a thoroughly satisfying coupling, accompanied him into a peaceful oblivion.

XXX

Hermione slowly roused from her potion induced sleep two days later in a private patient room, similar to that of a muggle hospital, with ivory walls and bed linens. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she glanced around the room, noticing the charmed monitor floating just above her bed, before flickering around and finding Harry sitting beside her. Worry lines creased across his face as he leaned forward and brushed the hair from her eyes, making certain that she was well and truly awake.

"Wh-what happ-pened? Where's D-Draco?" she questioned as her voice cracked. Her best friend immediately conjured a glass before filling it with water and handing it to her.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he queried, hoping she hadn't lost her memories after the trauma her body had undergone. Memories of the reconnaissance mission she and Draco had been sent on trickled in as she fought through the muddled feeling in her mind. Flashes of Death Eaters they'd been hunting for the better part of five years and spells being volleyed back and forth played before her mind's eye as she recalled setting _Fiendfyre_ loose and then succumbing to darkness moments before Draco reached her side.

"Everything…the mission, the ambush…I remember it all," she admitted as she raised her eyes to meet his emerald green orbs. "Harry, where's Draco?" she demanded to know in a slightly panicked voice. Understanding the concern she held for her partner, as both he and Ron were unaware of the true nature of their relationship, Harry took her hand in his and met her worried gaze.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione, but Malfoy hasn't woken up yet," she could tell he was holding something back and she wasn't about to let him sidestep her inquiry.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Mione, I don't think you should worry abo…"

"_What_ is wrong with him?" she articulated with an edge to her voice that informed him to spit it out immediately or she'd pry it from him by any means necessary.

"The curse he took for you," Harry started to explain with a look of dejection etched upon his face, "left him in critical condition. It was another particularly nasty spell invented by Dolohov, which inflicts excruciating pain while the victim bleeds out internally…and…" he swallowed hard as he averted his gaze to the bedsheets.

"And…?" Hermione whispered, terrified of what he would say, though knowing all the while she'd need to know if she could help Draco survive.

"And slowly drains their magical core," he admitted softly, causing the curly-haired brunette to gasp as tears sprang to her eyes. "By the time they were able to counter the curse, his core was nearly eradicated. The Healers don't know if he'll ever wake…I mean there have been cases where others have replenished their magic on their own over a few weeks or even months, but they were never this severe. I'm so sorry, Hermione, I know the two of you have become good friends…hell, I'm even going to miss the git…"

"Oh, gods…" she breathed as tears blurred her vision and the image of him sprinting across the warehouse flickered through her mind. She could recall the exact moment that he had roughly shoved her out of the way mere moments before the spell collided with his side. Internally, she cursed him for always having to save her, though she was probably just as guilty when it came to him, but he always seemed the worse for wear when taking curses meant for her.

"I need to see him, Harry," she insisted after forcibly wiping the tears from her eyes. "Please, take me to him…"

"_What_? _No_," her black-haired friend replied as he stared at her, baffled by her vehemence to see a dying man shortly after waking from a medically induced coma. "You need to _rest_. You're still recovering from Merlin knows what and don't need to be traipsing around this bloody hospital and getting worked up over your partner's condition. _No_, Hermione," he reiterated when she opened her mouth to argue, "I'm not going to let you out of this bed until Healer Atkinson releases you. Now, I'm going to let her know you're awake and floo Ron. He'll be happy to know you're finally back with us and we can see what the Healer has to say about your recovery then. Okay?"

"Okay," Hermione breathed, deciding not to argue with him as he turned and made his way out of the room. She waited until she heard his footsteps disappear down the hallway before scrambling from the bed and to the door. Scoffing to herself, she waved her hand and wandlessly removed the charms he'd placed upon the barrier to keep her locked inside.

Hobbling as quickly as she could down the short hallway, wincing in pain as her muscles fought her every movement, she found Draco's room at the end and slipped inside. The design was identical to her own private quarters, but the scene before her verified Harry's story. A potion drip levitated next to his charmed monitor as the soft beeps echoed off the tiled walls around them. Malfoy laid peacefully in the middle of the bed; his hair and face clean of blood or debris from the battle. If it weren't for the deathly pallor of his skin or the sunken set of his closed eyes, she would have sworn he was sleeping.

Making her way slowly to his side, she thought back over the weekend before when they'd celebrated their three-year anniversary in a small secluded cottage just North of Hogsmeade, situated on the edge of a beautiful lake.

_They'd spent all of Saturday and Sunday wrapped around each other without a stitch of clothing and were dreading having to return to work the following day. Draco had just settled in the bath behind Hermione, his arms wrapped securely around her waist as he pressed one kiss after another across her shoulder and up the side of her neck. A languid smile stretched over her face as she relaxed against his chest, basking in the candlelight._

_"I wish it could always be like this," she murmured as he pressed a lingering kiss to her temple. _

_"It could be…" he claimed, knowing he was bringing up an ongoing argument they'd had frequently over the last six months. He had wanted to make things official and come out about their relationship to both their friends and family, but she refused, insisting that they would be formally disciplined at work once it inevitably reached their boss. _

_"Draco, please don't…I don't want to fight," she breathed as her shoulders slumped. He was wearing her down, they both knew that, but it didn't make the arguments any less painful to endure knowing it hurt them both._

_"I'm serious, sweetheart," Draco insisted as he withdrew his hand from the water and gently tilted her head towards him by her chin. "I love you and I'm so tired of pretending we aren't involved or that I don't practically live in that shoebox you call a flat. I want to be able to take you out into Diagon Alley without our friends or pretending it's Auror business. I want to hold your hand and kiss you in a way that lets everyone know you're mine. I don't want to hide anymore, 'Mione."_

_"Draco, I hate hiding too," she insisted as she turned a bit further to meet his piercing gaze, "but we could lose our jobs or-or worse be assigned incompetent partners as punishment for breaking protocol. I can't…"_

_"What? Can't risk everything to show the world we belong together?"_

_"Draco, this is our careers were talking about!"_

_"So what? I'd happily walk away from it all if it meant we no longer had to hide and I'd be able to marry you without repercussions."_

_"What?" Hermione barely breathed as a smirk pulled at the corner of his lips._

_"I don't want to hide anymore, love," he cupped her cheek, accidentally dripping bubbles down her neck as he did so. "I want to take you out and show you off to the world as my wife. To hell with the department regulations, we aren't going to be able to do these jobs forever and if I need to choose between keeping you or my job, I'll choose you every single time," he insisted as he enunciated each syllable of the last six words. With a wandless wave of his hand, he summoned a small box from the drawer in the master bedroom and held it out to her. _

_Steam curled from the water around them as she trembled and took the box between her wet hands. As she slowly opened the top, her eyes widened and misted with tears as she took in the trillion-cut tanzanite nestled within a ring of rose-cut diamonds atop a platinum band etched with intricate rune-work. Leaning forward she pressed a searing kiss to his lips as her arms wound around his neck._

_"Is that a yes?" he queried when they finally broke for air._

_"Yes, but…" she pulled back to meet his worried gaze, "I want to get through this case on Dolohov before we tell anyone, okay? Just one more case and I'm yours…"_

_"One last one," he agreed as a bright smile spread across his lips. Taking the ring from the box, he slid it gently onto her left hand before pulling her flush against his body and slipping his rigid member into her heated core. _

Reaching the bed, Hermione pulled back the covers and settled next to her fiancé as tears began falling rapidly down her cheeks. As he laid unmoving next to her, breathing shallow even breaths, something broke inside her. Gut-wrenching sobs overtook her as she wrapped her arms around his battered torso and clung to the thin coarse cotton hospital gown adorning his body.

She could feel him falling away, slipping from her fingers as his magical essence pulsed a little weaker with each breath he took.

"Please, Draco," she pleaded as she pulled him tighter to her, "don't leave me, please I need you. Give me a sign…_please_, just give me a sign so I know you're still there. You can't leave me, not yet…" as she whispered frantically in her wizards' ear, Harry and Ron burst through the door, quickly followed by Healer Atkinson and Clarke.

"Good Godric, Mione, you about gave me a heart attack when we found your room empty," Ron stated through labored breaths as Harry stared confusedly at the way in which she clung to her partner. Refusing to inquire about what was happening between them, the black-haired Auror crossed the room and reached for her trembling form.

"'Mione, you can't be in here. I told you earlier you needed to rest…" he insisted, looking back at her Healer in hopes that she'd back him up.

"He's right, Auror Granger," Healer Atkinson stated, understanding what he was asking of her. "We really should get you back to bed…"

"Get out," Hermione growled as she roughly wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to glower at the four intruders. Naturally, not realizing the danger he was putting himself in, Ron stepped towards her to help Harry carry her back to her room.

"Come on, 'Mione, the Healers need to look over both of you. You need to get back in bed," he asserted as he made it to Harry's side.

"I said to GET OUT!" she screamed, causing Harry and Ron to take a step back from her. "Leave us be and just get out or so help me you'll regret it," she threatened as her magic sparked and danced over her body.

"Hermione…" Harry tentatively spoke as he inched forward towards the bed, hoping to keep her from accidentally hurting anyone else, in particular, Malfoy as she was laying against him. The tips of his fingers barely brushed her elbow when a sudden burst of raw magic lashed out at him from her trembling body, throwing all four individuals into the closest wall. Harry and Ron's expressions were beyond surprised by her inability to control her power, however, the witches seemed to understand as they'd seen it a few times before with grieving patients.

Sighing to herself, Healer Clarke stood and raised her wand with the intention of stunning the inconsolable brunette when Ron suddenly grabbed her arm and vehemently shook his head 'no'. When the Healers' brows furrowed in confusion, he softly whispered that it wouldn't work as Hermione's magic was protecting her. Looking back over the woman in question, they could see the faint ripple of a shield encasing the bed and barricading the pair inside.

"I understand, Auror Weasley, but as I'm a trained Healer, I think I can handle removing one witch from her lover's side," Clarke insisted as Ron sputtered.

"_Lovers_? No, Malfoy and 'Mione aren't _together_…are they, Harry…?" the redhead turned to the wizard in question seeking reassurance that his partner could no longer provide.

"Don't…" Harry insisted as the Healer raised her wand again. "Ron's right, Hermione's too powerful to mess with on a normal day. Piss her off while her magic is raw and her emotions wild…well, she could probably level this hospital and be the only one left to talk about it. Honestly, I think it'd be best if the two of you left before she accidentally hurts you."

"_Excuse me,_" Healer Atkinson cut in, "and what about yourselves? If she's as powerful as you say, what's stopping her from hurting the pair of you?"

"We're her best friends, the most she'll do is push us away like before…that's all."

"I'm sorry, Auror Potter, but our oaths won't allow us to leave a patient who could be endangered by another witch or wizard, no matter if they have the _best_ intentions or _not,_" she stated firmly as Clarke nodded her head in agreement. "We'll keep our distance from Auror Granger, but we need to see Auror Malfoy's vitals to ensure his magic hasn't depleted any further as it will be detrimental to his well-being."

"Draco, I need you to come back to me," Hermione repeated as her tears stained his gown. "I swear if you come back, I'll marry you this week…no more waiting, we can resign tomorrow and marry at the Ministry. I just need you to wake up…or-or at least give me sign, _any_ little sign that you're there. Please…I'll keep you alive if you show me the way, love. _Please_…" she cried as the Healer tiptoed around the edge of the room to try and read his monitor.

"Dammit," Healer Clarke muttered under her breath, unaware that Hermione was indeed listening to everything she was saying.

"What? Is he worsening?" Harry inquired as he moved closer to the older woman.

"Yes…I'm so sorry, Auror Potter, but at this rate, he probably won't last the night."

Unwilling to believe the witch, the curly-haired brunette took a deep shuddering breath before reaching out with her magic to feel Draco's core. Realizing the Healer spoke the truth, she wiped the fluid from her face and pressed one last trembling kiss to his cold lips, knowing there was only one way to save someone in such a state; a last-ditch effort most would never even consider. "I love you," she murmured while stroking his stubbled jaw and committing his handsome features to memory before closing her eyes and pushing her own magical core into him…sharing the very life essence which sustained their bodies.

"Hermione…_Hermione,_ what the hell are you doing?" Harry shouted as a golden light radiated from her entire being, slowly encompassing the pair and causing the Healers' eyes to widen in disbelief. "What's happening?" he demanded, turning to Healer Clarke who had a hand resting over her heart.

"She's sharing her core with him…"

"_What_?" Ron questioned dismay. "She can't do that…it'll _kill_ her!"

"What?" Harry barked.

"Well, in normal circumstances a witch or wizard could share their core with another being without having fatal consequences…" Healer Atkinson explained. "However, with the number of injuries Auror Granger has sustained, I doubt she'll be able to provide Auror Malfoy with enough essence to save his life without forfeiting her own."

"Hermione, don't do this," Harry pleaded, "not for _him_, he's been a prat most of our lives there's no reason to sacrifice yourself for him…_please_, I can't lose you." She was the only family outside of the Weasley's he had left, he wasn't sure he could survive without his surrogate sister. At his declaration, Hermione turned her tear-streaked face towards him as perspiration broke out across her forehead.

"I can't let him die because of me," she whispered as her magic continued to pulse around them. "I love him too much to give up on him now."

"This will _kill_ you! What's the point in saving him if you can't be together?" her black-haired friend exclaimed as he tried to step closer to the bed, refusing to let her confession dissuade him from saving her while he reached out in an effort to stop her. But before he even breached the barrier, a bolt of electricity arched from her shield and knocked him backward into the wall. "Hermione, _please_…"

"Mione…" Ron tried, though he was wise enough not to approach her as her magic continued to shield them, "please, it's not worth it."

"He's worth it to me," she murmured in response before redoubling her efforts to bring the man who'd slowly stolen her heart over the last few years back from the brink of death. Images of him holding her close as they read by the firelight last Christmas Eve, running through the rain in the park when their picnic was unexpectedly ruined, and his laughter from the one and only time he had tried to teach her how to play quidditch flickered through her mind as her magic slowed and the golden light began to fade.

Every eye in the room was trained on the bed, as sweat dripped from her face and she fought to keep her eyes open. "Please come back to me, Draco…_please,_" she whimpered as exhaustion slowly began to creep over her senses.

Seconds passed like minutes and for the first time in years she thought she had failed. Tears slipped from her lashes as her body began to tremble, and just as she was about to give in to the encompassing darkness dancing on the edge of her vision…Draco's chest quivered. Gasping in shock, she glanced up to his face and watched as his eyes blinked open, taking in the room around him and the four stunned individuals, before landing on Hermione.

Grinning broadly, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his now warm lips as their corner twitched upwards. Barely holding herself together as a tremor racked through her body, she curled her arms around her fiancé and whispered repeatedly how much she loved him and how she knew he'd come back to her.

When her body shuddered once more, he broke the kiss and reached out to cradle her face between his hands. "Are you alright?" he inquired with furrowed brows as he finally took her in. The color seemed to have drained from her usually flush skin, sweat beaded her forehead, and the light that usually sparkled in her eyes had dimmed. Fear niggled at the back of his mind as Draco tried to understand what was happening. Glancing over the somber faces in the room, he knew something was terribly wrong before Hermione convulsed once more in his arms. "Hermione…" he almost pleaded as she smiled softly up at him.

"Shh, it's alright, Draco…I'll be alright…" her voice failed as her eyes rolled back and her body suddenly went limp.

"Hermione? _Hermione_?!" he cried as he grasped her shoulders and gently shook her, begging for her to wake up. Both Healers rushed to his side as he felt the breath leave her, "No, no, no, no, no…sweetheart, don't go, _please_…" he begged as tears welled in his eyes and cascaded down his face.

"Auror Malfoy, please let me see Auror Granger…_please_, I can try and help her," Healer Atkinson insisted in as calm a voice as she could muster, all the while fighting back emotions of her own. Tears ran freely down Ron's cheeks, but before he allowed the grief to consume him, he roughly rubbed his eyes and bolted from the room.

The Healers conjured a gurney for Hermione and laid her gently on it as they performed spell after spell in an effort to revive the young witch willing to sacrifice everything for the man she loved. They worked furiously over her as Draco's panic consumed him and he pulled on the ends of his pale blonde hair, refusing to believe that she'd died saving him.

All the while, Harry stood with his back pressed to the far wall of the room, unable to breathe let alone process the fact that his best friend and sister laid motionless feet before him. The sounds of Draco's soul-wrenching sobs were all he could hear as the shouts from the Healers faded into the background. Slowly, the black-haired boy slid to the floor as numbness encompassed him…making him feel empty as he stared unseeing at the grey-tinged body of Hermione Granger.

**Epilogue: Three Years Later**

Draco awoke to sunlight streaming in through the window near the foot of his bed. Knowing it was the anniversary of the day Hermione had saved his life, his gaze flickered to the angry red scar still etched across his side from that fateful battle. The memories of waking in the hospital two days later to Hermione's brilliant smile, moments before the light faded from her eyes and she collapsed against him, continued to plague his mind. He could recall with resounding clarity the way in which she felt as the air escaped her lungs and how she crumpled in upon herself.

The pain of losing her in that moment still threatened to engulf him as he reached for the photograph situated on his nightstand. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at the curly-haired brunette witch smiling brightly, clad only in his tee and her lacy knickers on the night he'd proposed. Her hand rested against her cheek, showing off the gleaming ring he'd placed there only an hour before.

His fingertips traced over the edge of her face before he took a deep breath and shook his head, attempting to force back the tears before he set the picture to the side and stood from the bed. As he entered his closet to change for the day, his floo bell rang. Grumbling beneath his breath, he quickly dressed and made his way into the living room where he reluctantly opened the floo for Harry and Ron to pass through.

Over the last three years, the three of them had grown closer and struck up an odd friendship. Though none of them would talk about it, as they didn't wish to dwell on the horrific memories of the past, they all knew they were gathered together for the same reason. Ron held up a box of pastries from the Patil twins' bakery, knowing it was the blonde's favorite place to grab a quick breakfast.

"I've brought breakfast. All we need now is some tea and coffee…think you can manage, Malfoy?" the redhead quipped as Draco crossed his arms.

"You guys don't need to be here…I appreciate it, but I'm fine," he insisted.

"Look, you may be able to fool everyone else into believing that shite, but don't think it'll work on me. I know from experience that watching someone you love perish right before your eyes isn't something anybody gets over easily," Harry stated factually. "Why else did you quit the MLE after _personally_ arresting Dolohov?"

"You _know_ why," Draco growled before turning and making his way into the kitchen to put the kettle on and brew coffee as instructed. As he watched the coffee slowly pour into the pot below, he tried to push the pain from the forefront of his mind.

While he pulled down four mugs and plates for the pastries, the sound of apparition rent the air. He didn't bother heading to the foyer as he knew who had arrived and needed a moment to compose himself before facing the group gathered around his living room.

Wandlessly, he sent the china to the table before pouring his own cup and adding a splash of creamer. Just as he lifted the mug to his lips, slender arms snaked around his waist. Exhaling a slow even breath, he turned around and looked deep into his wife's knowing gaze.

"Still reliving that day?" she inquired softly as he pressed his forehead to hers and nodded. Seeming to understand his pain, she reached up and caressed his cheek before murmuring just loud enough for him to hear, "Draco, I _swear_ to you, I'm not going _anywhere,_ anytime soon. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but I'm _still here_…"

"I know that…but sweetheart, I _can't_ lose you," he breathed. "After everything we've lived through, I can honestly say that that was the worst day of my life and I don't know how I'd ever live without you…" the pain in his voice resonated within her soul as she nodded in understanding. After all, she'd felt the same pain he had that day and nearly died bringing him back from the brink of death.

"How about this," Hermione started as her chocolate eyes held his pain riddled grey, "when my time comes, I promise not to go without you…okay?" Memories of the days he'd spent by her bedside waiting for her to rouse…for her to stir to life, flickered through his mind. He'd attempted to give her back her magic, but was caught by Healer Clarke who chastised him, asking quite simply if his witch would appreciate him undoing all her hard work? Conceding to just let time heal her core, he didn't bother trying again and simply spent all of his free time by her side.

After weeks passed, he was starting to break apart, thinking she was never coming back to him when her hand suddenly twitched beneath his own. He'd nearly jumped from his skin, but when she did it again, he sent his Patronus in search of her Healers. They determined that her levels had increased, and she was miraculously on the mend for a witch who'd nearly given him every drop of her magic.

Knowing she was coming back to him; Draco had redoubled his efforts in hunting down Dolohov. As he closed in on the remaining Death Eaters, he personally killed Macnair and Rowle before apprehending Antonin Dolohov; who received the Dementors kiss two days after Hermione blinked open her eyes.

A few days after she was released from the hospital, Hermione laid nestled within Draco's arms as he told her about closing their final case. Deciding that the time had indeed come, they both drafted their letters of resignation and stepped away from a life filled with risk and injury. In the months following her recovery, Draco hardly left her side as they planned a small wedding. As it turned out, nearly losing her right before his eyes had mentally scarred him, causing him to wake from nightmares of seeing her grey-tinged skin and the whites of her eyes as she continuously collapsed beside him.

Each night, he would pull her tighter into his embrace, resting his ear upon her breast just to hear her beating heart. As time wore on, his nightmares faded but he never forgot a single moment from that day. He never forgot how the Healers worked quickly to restart her heart with muggle CPR, how they placed her in a magically induced coma to give her body time to rest and recuperate, or how he felt relieved by the pink flush that tinted her skin as she began breathing once more on her own.

The two of them took a year off from work after leaving the MLE. They married within three months, bought a new house, and spent several weeks remodeling and decorating it to their heart's content. When the following summer rolled around, they were approached by Headmistress McGonagall and offered teaching positions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They only took two hours to determine that it was something they both wanted and soon signed contracts with the magical school.

Draco happily taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, sharing his past misdeeds with older students while teaching them much of what he had learned in the Auror Academy. All the while, Hermione taught Charms and basked in the peace she felt each day walking the ancient halls of the castle beside her husband.

As she tilted her head forward and pressed a tender kiss to his lips, Hermione brought Draco out of the flashbacks. He relaxed against her before sliding his hands down to her rounded belly. "Okay," he breathed as he gently massaged her abdomen. "We'll go together…but not for at least another hundred years, alight?"

"Alright," she chortled as they felt their son kick against his hands, bringing a smile to both their faces.

"How are you doing today? Any contractions yet?"

"Not yet, but my lower back is killing me…" she replied as she kneaded the tight knot resting just above her waist.

"I think I could help with that," he murmured as his large calloused hands slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and slowly massaged out the kinks. Hermione moaned in satisfaction as the tender muscles started to release and she leaned against him, nuzzling his chest as he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.

Before Draco could offer to take her back to bed and give her a proper rub down, Ron poked his head through the door. "Hey, can we eat yet? Harry and I've been waiting ages for you two and we're starved. Our wives have _never_ made us wait this long to eat…"

"Merlin forbid you wait an extra five minutes," Hermione chuckled as Draco shook his head. "Go on ahead then, serve yourselves…but you'd better save me a raspberry Danish or heads _will_ roll," she threatened, causing Ron to furiously nod in agreement before ducking back into the living area.

Smiling to one another as Draco picked up his coffee mug, they each reached out with their magic, subtly checking each other's core. Content to know everything was as it should be, they kissed and moved off into the living room to join their friends, happy to have each other and a peaceful life they could share…together.


End file.
